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Jazze Pha was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. His father is James Alexander, bassist for the Bar-Kays, an influential group on the Memphis soul scene in the 1960s. Jazze Pha has been surrounded by music all his life. His father is James Alexander, bass guitarist for the Bar Kays. His mother, Denise Williams, is an accomplished singer, having worked with everyone from Earth, Wind, and Fire to Barbra Streisand. But she is not the same Deniece Williams that R&B fanatics have come to know and love. 'Yea man straighten that out,' he says, referring to the belief that his mother is the legendary singer."</ref>[3] Pha was named after the late Phalon Jones, another member of the Bar-Kays, who died in the December 10, 1967 plane crash that also killed three other Bar-Kays members and Otis Redding.

Pha is known for announcing "Ladies and gentlemen" or "This is a Jazze Phizzle product-shizzle!", both at the beginning and, occasionally, at the end of songs on which he is featured.[4] In 1990, Pha was signed to Elektra Records.[5]